title: Drosophila long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase acts like a gap gene in embryonic segmentation.
abstract: Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSLs) convert the long chain fatty acids to acyl-CoA esters, the activated forms participating in diverse metabolic and signaling pathways. dAcsl is the Drosophila homolog of human ACSL4 and their functions are highly conserved in the processes ranging from lipid metabolism to the establishment of visual wiring. In this study, we demonstrate that both maternal and zygotic dAcsl are required for embryonic segmentation. The abdominal segmentation defects of dAcsl mutants resemble those of gap gene knirps (kni). The central expression domain of Kni transcripts or proteins was reduced whereas the adjacent domains of another gap gene Hunchback (Hb) were correspondingly expanded in these mutants. Consequently, the striped pattern of the pair-rule gene Even-skipped (Eve) was disrupted. We propose that dAcsl plays a role in embryonic segmentation at least by shifting the anteroposterior boundaries of two gap genes.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen Xilu #1, Beijing 100101, PR China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhaohui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D003066:Coenzyme A Ligases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D000098859:Long-Chain-Fatty-Acid-CoA Ligase
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C052837:eve protein, Drosophila; C061245:hb protein, Drosophila; C074089:kni protein, Drosophila; D003066:Coenzyme A Ligases; D000098859:Long-Chain-Fatty-Acid-CoA Ligase